Since Death Stranding 2 is out next year and I've never actually played through every Metal Gear (only the first three solids) I decided to change that. And I kinda regret that since Metal Gear 1 is a frustrating experience with only traces of the things that make the future games so iconic.

While I do appreciate things like the slower pace and the soundtrack being pretty good (even if its just a few songs) what kills Metal Gear is just how frustrating the experience can be. I played this game with a guide and even that didn't save me from the needlessly complicated map, horrendous save system, and godawful combat that the game forces you into despite being billed as a stealth game. The boss fights in particular range from complete dogshit to complete pushovers, with Dirty Duck being the absolute worst, as fucking up the fight can potentially lead to your ENTIRE PLAYTHROUGH BEING BRICKED. Its funny because the entire P.O.W system isn't too bad and the progression feels really nice but shit like that makes the entire experience so unfun.

Despite its short run time I can not recommend the original Metal Gear unless you desperately want to go through the series at the very start. It is interesting that a lot of the most iconic moments come from this (like the system turn off bit and the odd boss names) but otherwise a pretty bad game all around. Hope its the only one in this long ass marathon.

4/10